Mitch McConnell holds his Senate seat

Huge groans at Democrat HQ in Virginia at the news that Mitch McConnell the Republican Senate Minority Leader has held on to his seat.

Mitch McConnell's victory may make Barack Obama fight for his reforms

The groans turned to cheers seconds later when the networks began calling Ohio for Obama. They know that this thing is over. By my calculations, with no other wing states going his way, Obama laready has banked 279 electoral college votes.

But it is worth remembering that the Republicans have not been massacred tonight. Obama may well, by morning, have acumulated numbers that are worthy of the word landslide, but this is not the total wipeout that some had expected.

Mr McCain early on held North Dakota, which more bullish Democrats had targeted. McConnell's win will probably deny the Democrats a filibuster proof Senate majority, which will make Obama earn his refoms with a little more blood, sweat and tears.

It is probably a miracle that Mr McCain managed to even appear in contention until the last month. As a political legacy that is not much but it will have to do. McCain deserves credit and I have little doubt that he will soon be back to his maverick best, proving a useful ally to Senator Obama on a range of issues to the despair of his own party.